Billions of Android and iPhone users warned over ‘confusion’ message that empties bank – watch out for three ‘red flags’

EXPERTS have been warning about a type of travel scam that can steal your money.

In recent years, bad actors have been targeting travelers who are looking for discounted flights.

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HOW DOES THE SCAM WORK?

The scam consists of a threat actor reaching out to customers with fraudulent flight deals.

They may contact a potential victim via phone call, email, a website, or on social media.

In their message, they often pretend to be a booking agency that has an amazing travel deal.

Once they have convinced a victim of this – and to dish out their information or funds – the scammer purchases a reservation hold via a real travel agency.

A reservation hold puts a ticket aside – but it is not an actual plane ticket – and typically costs a small fee.

Scammers, however, will pass the flight hold as a legitimate ticket – as this will show a victim is in an air carrier’s system.

And, of course, once the time period of the hold is up, the scammer disappears with the money never to be heard from again.

WARNING SIGNS

There are a few things that travelers can do to avoid falling victim to the plane ticket, including being vigilant of the warning signs.

For starters, be wary of any deal that seems too good to be true. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

If someone contacts you out of the blue to offer you a flight deal, this is probably a scam. Always do your research on the company they claim to be and reserve engineer the phone number.

Last, if the person who contacts you displays a sense of urgency, that’s likely a scam.

Scammers use urgency as a tactic to afford people less time to think rationally.

HOW TO STAY SAFE

Here are some additional tips to help you avoid travel scams:

Before you book any travel, be sure to research and read reviews of the airline or travel agent you are considering using.

You should also consider using a credit card for payment because you will have more protection if you become a victim of a scam.

Be careful with your personal information. Never give out your personal information to someone you do not know or trust.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk